November 25, 2011

CQWW October 2011

Hi Folks,
Sorry for this blog being late but I am just getting used to using the iMAC after years of using the windows OS. 


The manager for this event was Damien with myself as sub-manager.  Damien was also our cook for the event with the exception of Saturday night when Barrie and Kathy hosted a meal cooked by Stephany. 


Well here we are at the end of another contest season having just completed the October CQWW contest, and I have to say for the time of year we had excellent conditions in fact I cannot remember a better contest at Oysterber Farm for setting the antenna's up where there was no wind or rain to battle through. 


The weekend started with Damien G0LLG and Paul M6APB setting up their caravan's on site ready for the contest. 


Paul was able to do mixture of setting up the antenna's, work the contest station and spend time with his XYL over the course of the weekend.  Damien's caravan was used by members not on air to have a place to Sleep, Socialise and have a place to go for meals.


We have been fortunate enough to have the use of Pauls trailer to store and transport most of the groups antenna's and masts etc for most of the year, a godsend in many ways because it saved group members the task of loading their cars with the antenna's masts, ropes and stakes. 


The Antenna Team for Friday was: 

Damien G0LLG, Hughie G4UME, Paul 2E0EET, Paul M6APB.  Ian G0VGS arrived later and stayed for the full weekend after setting up the Radio equipment and Logging software. The nest of dipoles was erected for topband 80 & 40m along with verticals phased arrays for 80m & 40m was setup.  



Saturday Morning as group members finished setting up the phased array verticals for the other bands of operation


Operators for the weekend included:
Brian G0RDH on the graveyard shift along with so other operating times. Damien G0LLG, Mike M0PRL, Paul 2E0APB, Paul 2E0EET and Stephany G1LAT.  You may have worked the following operators on the recent DX-pedition to the Isle of Tiree: Andrew G0LWU, Hughie G4UME, Ian G0VGS.
Paul 2E0EET operated mainly during the mornings
As you can see we are using our standard setup in the form of the Elecraft K3, The Ranger 811H Linear. 
My Heil headset with the HC5 Insert and the keying option of either a hand switch or a foot switch recently purchased by Ian.

The foot switch has good and bad points.... On the positive side it allows the operator to use both hands for logging and rig control as needed.  The negative report is that foot switches have a tendency to move around on most surfaces however this is easily remedied by placing the switch on a piece of non-slip webbing underneath the base plate. 
With the exception of most of the Antenna's, Masts and Accessories all the equipment used on our events belongs to our group members.  The Ranger 811H Linear belongs to Ian's XYL and group member Linda G0YLM and it has given good service since the group was started in 2004 at nearly all our contests, events and DX-Peditions.  As you can imagine the Linear is now in need of some TLC and has been returned to Ranger for a complete service prior to being put into retirement.


If there has been a running theme throughout this years activity which was not planned by the group but welcomed none the less and this has been Experimentation with Antenna's and Personal training and achievement as new members come into the group.  I will be posting a special end of year blog that will cover these area's in the next blog "All Our Yesterdays 2011" at the end of the year.


Thanks to all members who took part in this event and to Barrie and Kathy for allowing us the use of Hancock's Radio Hut and hosting our much looked forward to meal on Saturday night.  Stephany was our cook for the meal and nobody left the table feeling hungry.


Mike M0PRL seen in a few of these photo's tried the impossible by trying to pour the contents of a carton of double cream over the fantastic fruit crumble made by Stephany with the last of the hand picked summer fruits.  Mike is of to Antartica again for a three month tour.


Hopefully the link below will work and allow you to view a collection of pictures I have taken during the course of the weekend.


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Picture Gallery


This blog is shorter than normal due to time constraints but I hope you enjoy the content.


73
Brian G0RDH
The Reluctant Contester

November 06, 2011

The gallant Dxpeditioners

The lads on the return to the mainland from the Tiree DXpedition



Linda G0YLM